Tamper evident cargo container seal bolt lock

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for a tamper-evident cargo container seal bolt lock are disclosed herein. The device can include a bolt member having a conductive medium running the axial length of the bolt, and a receiving member for locking the bolt into place. A battery-driven sensory circuit including a memory means, a processor, and a timing circuit can be disposed within the receiving member such that a continuous circuit is formed from one circuit pin over the conductive medium through the length of the bolt and back to a second pin. The sensory circuit is configured to sense whether the circuit has been interrupted (e.g., if the bolt has been cut). In the event of an interruption, the circuit can record the time and/or date in memory. This information can then be transmitted to an RFID reader/interrogator if a dispute arises as to when the lock had been broken.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/791,419, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 8,963,712, issued date Feb. 24, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/609,181, filed Mar. 9, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if set forth in full.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Various embodiments concern the field of bolt locks for shipping containers. More particularly, various embodiments are directed to intelligent bolt locks which, if tampered with, can report the day and time that they have been tampered with.

2. Related Art

Bolt locks are frequently placed on shipping containers to prevent access to the container's contents by unauthorized parties. A bolt lock can be locked, but it cannot be unlocked—that is to say, when the container finally reaches its intended destination, the bolt has to be split open with bolt cutters in order to access the contents of the container. In this sense, a bolt lock is a one-time use device.

Typically, bolt locks include a metal bolt which is inserted through the hasps of cargo container doors. One end of the bolt includes a head which is substantially large enough to prevent the bolt from sliding out of the hasps in one direction. The other end of the bolt is designed to be inserted into a receiving member. Once the bolt is inserted into the receiving member (which is large enough to prevent the bolt from being slid of the hasps in the other direction), the bolt is then locked into place.

On many occasions, a thief armed with bolt cutters will intercept the shipping container, cut the bolt, and steal the items stored within it. Sometimes, the thief will remove the broken bolt and replace it with a new bolt to make it seem as if no tampering had occurred. A discrepancy between what items were shipped and what items actually arrived will later be discovered in the manifest when the container arrives at its intended destination and its contents are inspected.

In these situations, disputes frequently arise regarding which party or parties are legally responsible for covering the cost of the missing items (e.g., the seller, shipper, purchaser, and/or various insurers). In many instances, the legally responsible party will be predicated upon which party had possession of the container when the theft actually occurred. For example, if the theft occurred after the container was locked, but before the container was provided to the shipper, the missing items are typically the seller's responsibility. If the theft occurred during transit, the missing items can be the shipper's responsibility or its insurer (unless explicitly disclaimed in the contract). If the theft occurred after the shipper delivered the container to the purchaser's storage facility, the missing items are no longer the seller or shipper's responsibility, but rather, it is the purchaser's loss.

However, since the shipping container is usually opened at the end of the delivery chain (i.e., when it finally is in the hands of the purchaser), the theft may have occurred at any time prior to that. By that time, the container has already traveled through multiple locations and has been handled by multiple parties. Usually, visual inspection of the container and/or lock provides no clear evidence as to when or where the theft occurred. With no real way of determining when or where the theft occurred, parties (or their insurers) often find themselves in messy legal disputes, especially if the price of the stolen merchandise is high.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods for a tamper-evident cargo container seal bolt lock are disclosed herein. The device can include a bolt member having a conductive medium running the axial length of the bolt, and a receiving member for locking the bolt into place. A battery-driven sensory circuit including a memory means, a processor, and a timing circuit can be disposed within the receiving member such that a continuous circuit is formed from one circuit pin over the conductive medium through the length of the bolt and back to a second pin. The sensory circuit is configured to sense whether the circuit has been interrupted (e.g., if the bolt has been cut). In the event of an interruption, the circuit can record the time and/or date in memory. This information can then be transmitted to an RFID reader/interrogator if a dispute arises as to when the lock had been broken.

In a first exemplary aspect, a bolt lock device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the bolt lock device comprises: a bolt member comprising an electrically conductive medium running between a first end of the bolt member and a second end of the bolt member; and a receiving member adapted to receive the first end of the bolt member, the receiving member comprising a battery-operated sensory circuit with memory and pins adapted to form an electrically conductive pathway through the conductive medium of the bolt member after the first end of the bolt member has been inserted into the receiving member; wherein the sensory circuit is adapted to detect whether the circuit has been interrupted and record in the memory the date and time that the circuit was interrupted.

In a second exemplary aspect, a method for electronically detecting whether a bolt lock has been tampered with is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: receiving a first end of a bolt member in a receiving member, wherein the bolt member comprises an electrically conductive medium running between a first end of the bolt member and a second end of the bolt member, and wherein the receiving member comprises a battery-operated sensory circuit with memory and pins adapted to form an electrically conductive pathway through the conductive medium of the bolt member after the first end of the bolt member has been inserted into the receiving member; detecting whether the sensory circuit has been shorted; and in the event of a detected short, recording the current date and time in the memory.

Other features and advantages should become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments disclosed herein are described in detail with reference to the following figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or exemplary embodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the embodiments. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary bolt member according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary bolt member depicted in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary receiving member according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of electronically detecting whether a bolt lock has been tampered with according to one embodiment.

The various embodiments mentioned above are described in further detail with reference to the aforementioned figured and the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a device and method for aiding with the determination of liability for a theft by knowing when a shipping container had been accessed by an unauthorized party. The device is an alternative to conventional bolt seals or other types of cargo container seals and provides a record of the time of access.

After lading a cargo container with merchandise, the doors of the container are closed and locked. Upon arrival at the final destination, the lock is broken and the cargo removed and inventoried. An unbroken lock provides evidence that the container was not opened during transit. In the event that there is a discrepancy in the manifest between what items were sent and what items were received, a transponder disposed within in the lock can be queried using a suitable reader to determine whether a tamper event was recorded. If a tamper event was recorded, the date and time of the event can then be transmitted to the reader. The date and time of the tamper event makes it substantially easier to determine which party was in possession of the cargo container when the tamper event occurred (and consequently, which party is legally responsible for covering the loss).

Note that the transponder can be repeatedly queried while the container is en route, particularly each time possession of the cargo container changes hands. This process can assist law enforcement since theft can be discovered more immediately (rather than, for example, being discovered upon ultimate delivery to the purchaser, which is sometimes weeks after the day that the theft occurred).

According to various embodiments, the bolt lock device includes a bolt member and a receiving member. The bolt member is intended to be inserted through one or more hasps, with one end of the bolt member being inserted into the receiving member.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary bolt member according to one embodiment. The bolt member 102 can be made of metal or some other material. As shown by this figure, bolt member 102 can have a first end 104 adapted for insertion into a receiving member 202 (shown in FIG. 2), and a lock groove 116 for locking the bolt member 102 to the receiving member 202. The second end 106 of the bolt member 102 can form a head 108 which is substantially larger than the diameter of the hasps of cargo container doors (not shown) and therefore also substantially larger than the diameter of the shaft 109 of the bolt. The head 108 can thus serve to prevent the bolt member 102 from sliding through the hasps of the cargo container door in a first direction.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary bolt member depicted in FIG. 1A. As shown by this figure, the bolt member 102 can have a conductive center 110 running the axial length of the bolt. The conductive center 110 can be made of the same material as the structural part of the bolt (e.g., metallic), or it can be made of a different material. In some embodiments, the conductive center 110 can consist of conductive wiring.

According to some embodiments, the conductive center 110 can be electrically insulated from the structural portion of the bolt. An insulated core within which the conductive center lies can have a small diameter to minimize degradation in the physical strength of the structural part of the bolt member 102. In some embodiments, the conductive center 110 can be surrounded with a second material having electrically insulating material or dielectric properties.

At the first end 104 of the bolt member 102, the conductive center 110 can be adapted to interface with one or electrical contacts 212 of a circuit 206 disposed within a receiving member 202 (shown in FIG. 2). For example, in some embodiments, pin connector 112 can be a female connector adapted to receive one or more pins through a pin connector opening 114 positioned at the first end 104 of the bolt member 102.

At the second end 106 of the bolt member 102, the conductive center 110 can terminate at the head 108 and form a conductive pathway through metal in the head 108 and metal in the shaft 109 in order to complete the circuit. In other embodiments, the conductor 110 can simply wrap backwards upon itself after it has traversed the length of the bolt member 102.

Note that while several embodiments (such as the one depicted in FIG. 1B) include a conductor or conductive material 110 running through the center of the bolt member 102, the conductor or conductive material need not necessarily run through the center of the bolt member 102, but can be positioned differently in other embodiments. For example, the conductor or conductive material can be radially offset by some distance from the center of the shaft 108, including, for example, being positioned at a radial edge of shaft 109. Also, according to some embodiments, the conductor or conductive material can run through multiple locations of the bolt member 102.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary receiving member according to one embodiment. The receiving member 202 can be configured to receive the bolt member 102 inserted therein and prevent its withdrawal, thereby locking it into place. In some embodiments, lock ring 204 disposed within the receiving member 202 is adapted to interface with lock groove 116 (shown in FIG. 1A) in order to facilitate the locking.

Receiving member 202 can include a circuit 206 adapted to interface with conductive center 110 (shown in FIG. 1B) via a set of electrical contacts 212. In some embodiments, for example, electrical contacts 212 can include a set of connectors, such as one or more mating pins adapted to be inserted with pin connector 112 of the bolt member 102. Instead of mating pins, note that other types of electrical contacts 212 can be used in the alternative.

Thus, the first end 104 of the bolt member 102 can be shaped specifically to facilitate its insertion into the receiving member 202, and to electrically interface with one or more electrical contacts 212 formed in the receiving member 202. In some embodiments, when the first end 104 of the bolt member 102 is inserted into the receiving member 202, a continuous circuit is formed from one electrical contact 212 through the conductive center 110, across length of the bolt member 102, up to its head 108, returning through the metal material of which the bolt is made, and then back to a second electrical contact 212.

In some embodiments, the circuit 206 can be a sensory circuit configured to sense whether the circuit is continuous or has been interrupted (i.e., whether it is a “short” or “open” circuit). Thus, if the conductive center 110 running the axial length of the bolt member 102 has been severed (for example, if bolt member 102 has been cut with bolt cutters) the circuit 206 can therefore detect this condition. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit 206 can be designed in a number of different manners and/or circuit arrangements in order to accomplish this purpose.

In order to provide power to the circuit 206, a battery 208 can be molded or otherwise included in the receiving member 202. This battery 208 can be used in order to enable operations of timekeeping, event and data logging, and other functions. Batteries 208 of any type can be used for this purpose, such as button or coin cells, or thin-film batteries. In some embodiments, the receiving member 202 can be configured to connect the battery 208 to the circuit 206 only when the bolt is inserted, i.e. when the container is sealed, in order to maintain battery charge while on the shelf

The circuit 206 can also include a processor, memory, and a timing circuit or clock (not shown), the latter component for keeping track of the current date and/or time. Thus, according to some embodiments, when the circuit 206 is detected to be open or short, the present date and/or time can be written to memory. This serves as evidence as to when the tamper event occurred. In some embodiments, the memory can also store a transaction record of intermediate events that occurred during the course of travel or shipment, such as times and places of transfers. This information can further assist in pinpointing the exact location of the shipping container when the tamper event occurred.

In some embodiments, the state of the condition of the circuit 206 (i.e., whether the circuit has been shorted or opened) can be polled at periodic intervals in order to extend the operational life of battery 208. For example, in some embodiments, a polling event can take place every five minutes. The regularity of polling can be adjusted to correspond with the operational life of the battery 208 and/or the total expected time of delivery of the shipment.

In some embodiments, the circuit 206 can also include a transponder 210 and an antenna 214. The transponder 210 can comprise a single chip, or a combination of chips and components forming a wireless communication means. In one embodiment, for example, the chip is an RFID chip operating in the UHF frequency band and complying with the ISO 18000-6C or EPC C1G2 standard. Other chips can also be applied, including those operating in the HF frequency band and compliant with ISO 14443A/B or ISO 15693, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or proprietary technologies. In some embodiments, electrical contacts 212 can connect with contact pins which are part of the transponder 210.

The transponder 210 can be connected to antenna 214, which serves to receive and transmit signals to a reader or interrogator. The one or more batteries 208 can be used to power the transponder, either continuously or intermittently.

In some embodiments, the transponder 210 can contain a unique identifier and other information related to the nature of the shipment and its contents. This data can be stored in a memory module local to the transponder 210 or in another memory source associated with circuit 206.

In other embodiments, a serial or parallel bus connection, rather than a wireless transponder, can be used to read/write data to memory of the circuit 206. For example, a USB, FireWire, or RS-232 port can be included within receiving member 202. If an arrival time and location is to be written to the memory of the circuit 206 (for example, when the shipping container is being transferred from ship to train), a handheld device with a connecting serial bus cable can transmit the data to be written through the serial bus cable to the memory. Conversely, if the contents of the memory are queried in order to determine if a tamper event occurred, the requested data can be transmitted from memory of the circuit 206 over the serial cable to the querying device.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of electronically detecting whether a bolt lock has been tampered with according to one embodiment.

At block 302, a first end of a bolt member is received in a receiving member. The first end of the bolt member can be specifically shaped for insertion into the receiving member, such that the bolt member can be locked in the receiving member upon or after insertion. A sensory circuit disposed within the receiving member can be adapted to electrically interface with a conductive medium running the axial length of the bolt member. For example, one or more mating pins can electrically interface with a female pin connector through a pin connector opening at a first end of the bolt member.

When the circuit is connected to a power source, such as a battery, electrical current can then run from a first mating pin through the axial length of the bolt and back to a second mating pin in order to form a continuous circuit. If the circuit is severed (for example, the bolt is cut), the circuit can then detect an interruption (e.g., an open or short circuit). This condition can be checked continually or periodically according to various embodiments. Blocks 304 and 306 depict this process.

In the event of a detected interruption, then at block 308, the present date and time can be written to a local memory module. This data serves as evidence as to when the tamper event occurred. Optionally, the data stored within this memory can subsequently be transmitted to an external device in response to a query transmitted from a wireless transceiver (e.g., an RFID interrogator) or over a serial bus cable.

In some embodiments, the memory of the bolt lock device can be written to as well. These write operations can be used, for example, in tracking a container as it is shipped through multiple locations and/or as the container is transferred between multiple parties. By periodically writing to the memory of the bolt lock device as the device changes locations and/or handling parties, a location log and date-stamp can be generated to facilitate more immediate discoveries of tamper events. In this manner, tamper events can be discovered well before the shipping container arrives at its intended destination.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. The breadth and scope should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. Where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future. In addition, the described embodiments are not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated example. One of ordinary skill in the art would also understand how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations could be utilized to implement the desired features of the described embodiments.

Furthermore, although items, elements or components may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bolt lock device, comprising: a transponder configured to: store a unique identifier associated with the bolt lock device; and transmit the identifier in response to a query.
 2. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transponder is further configured to encrypt the identifier prior to transmitting the identifier.
 3. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transponder is further configured to: determine, based at least in part on the query, whether the query is transmitted by an authorized querying device; and transmit the identifier further in response to a determination that the query is transmitted by an authorized querying device.
 4. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transponder is further configured to: store data with respect to at least one of the following: a nature of a shipment, and one or more contents of the shipment; and transmit at least a portion of the data in response to the query.
 5. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the bolt lock device further comprises: a bolt member comprising an electrically conductive medium running between a first end of the bolt member and a second end of the bolt member; and a receiving member adapted to receive the first end of the bolt member, the receiving member comprising a battery-operated sensory circuit with memory and pins adapted to form an electrically conductive pathway through the conductive medium of the bolt member after the first end of the bolt member has been inserted into the receiving member; wherein the sensory circuit is coupled to the transponder.
 6. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 5, wherein the sensory circuit is adapted to detect an interruption in the sensory circuit.
 7. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensory circuit is further adapted to record in the memory a date and time of the interruption in response to detecting the interruption in the sensory circuit.
 8. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 7, wherein the transponder is further configured to transmit the date and time of the interruption in response to the query.
 9. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transponder includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, and wherein the transponder is configured to transmit the identifier over a wireless connection.
 10. The bolt lock device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transponder includes a serial bus, and wherein the transponder is configured to transmit the identifier over a wired connection.
 11. A method, comprising: storing an identifier associated with a bolt lock device in a transponder comprising the bolt lock device; and transmitting the identifier in response to a query.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising encrypting the identifier prior to transmitting the identifier.
 13. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the query, whether the query is transmitted by an authorized querying device; and transmitting the identifier further in response to a determination that the query is transmitted by an authorized querying device.
 14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising: storing data with respect to at least one of the following: a nature of a shipment, and one or more contents of the shipment; and transmitting at least a portion of the data in response to the query.
 15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising receiving a first end of a bolt member in a receiving member, wherein the bolt member comprises an electrically conductive medium running between the first end of the bolt member and a second end of the bolt member, wherein the receiving member comprises a battery-operated sensory circuit with memory and pins adapted to form an electrically conductive pathway through the conductive medium of the bolt member after the first end of the bolt member has been inserted into the receiving member, and wherein the sensory circuit is coupled to the transponder.
 16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising detecting an interruption in the sensory circuit.
 17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising recording a date and time of the interruption in response to detecting the interruption in the sensory circuit.
 18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising transmitting the date and time of the interruption in response to the query.
 19. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the transponder includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, and wherein the transponder is configured to transmit the identifier over a wireless connection.
 20. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the transponder includes a serial bus, and wherein the transponder is configured to transmit the identifier over a wired connection. 